Between the Ocean and the Sky
by vivaciouslady
Summary: What would happen if Ariel went with her original plan? "I'll swim up to his castle. Then Flounder will splash around to get his attention..." Would Eric still love her, meeting her as only a mermaid?
1. Where did she go?

=D YAY okay after remembering this post when talking with Jodi/fridamoonbeam last night, i thought i'd try my hand at making it into a fanfic...which i've never written before, so it was interesting XD i already had all ariel's part written so it didn't take long. it was my first time trying to portray eric and flounder though LOL XDD

basically a WHAT IF thing where ariel actually does what she said she was going to:

i quote "I'll swim up to his castle. Then Flounder will splash around to get his attention, and then with -" (and then sebastian interrupted her '__' XD)

would eric STILL LOVE HER AS A MERMAID?!!? =O

WARNING: major corniness and bad portrayals XD it's all in good fun. oh, and FAIL title XD couldn't think of one so i borrowed a lyric line from the finale on the tlm score. Also, a hint of flounder x ariel.

please don't steal! why would you anyways O_O?

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CHAPTER ONE:

Ariel kept on running the dinglehopper through her flaming red hair. Tonight, she was going to go through her plan on meeting Eric. Her heart was pounding with each dinglehopper stroke, but she wanted to do this more than anything in the world. To talk to Eric…to see him! Within the hideaway of her grotto, Ariel had been swimming back and forth, praying and hoping everything would turn out perfectly. No,

It just had to!

Ariel put the dinglehopper back in the whazzitsname. But there was one little if-factor bubbling around in her brain. What if….what if…he didn't want to love a mermaid? What if Sebastian was right, that the fact that they were from two different worlds made it impossible for Ariel and Eric to ever be? Ariel bit her lip and swam over to her statue of Eric. She rested her head on his stone shoulder. If only you could know, the feelings that I feel…if only I could tell you what I wish I could reveal! Ariel stared up into his beautiful eyes. No, she had to do it! There was no doubts about it! She clenched her fists and moved in front of him.

"H…hi, Eric…Oh, I mean Prince Eric!" Ariel stuttered. "I mean…Ohhh…I don't know what I mean!" Ariel sighed and sank down to the floor, crossing her arms over a rock. She frowned. "This is a lot harder than I thought!" Ariel glanced over at her music box with the people dancing together on it. If only that could be her and Eric. If only…Ariel stared at her fin. If only I didn't have this fin! She sighed. Suddenly, the watchamacallit humans used for telling time in the corner caught her eye. Oh, it was late! She was going to run out of time.

Ariel had already told Flounder to splash around to get Eric's attention, and then she was going to sing…Ariel quickly paddled over to the front of her grotto, and moved the stone blocking the entrance to the side so she could swim through. After closing it behind her, Ariel moved her fin as quickly as it could take her upwards, and soon Ariel broke through the surface. The moon was shining brilliantly and bright tonight, casting a luminous glow on everything. The ocean waters glittered.

----

Eric, meanwhile, had been lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He fiddled with a scroll in his hands…a piece of paper that Grimsby had forced on him, requesting that he write a letter to the princess of Glauerhaven, thanking her for her hospitality. But Eric just couldn't…concentrate on anything right now. How could he, when that voice was still so clear in his head? Making him feel dizzy yet tormented at the same time, with the fact that Eric couldn't seem to find her, no matter how hard he tried.

Where could she have gone?

Suddenly, a salty gust of wind blew in from the open window, seizing up the piece of paper from Eric's hands. He sat up and tried to snatch it back, but it was blown towards the window, hitting one of the window panes on the side and landing on the floor. Eric sighed, scratching the back of his head as he stood up. Just as he was about to bend down and pick the scroll up, Eric heard something coming from outside. It sounded like someone splashing frantically in the ocean…sounded like…someone…drowning?! No…that couldn't be. He didn't think anyone swam this late at night, at least not anyone from around the kingdom. And even if someone did…to swim so close to the castle…that wasn't too common. The last time someone who wasn't from the castle had been on the shore had been…the girl.

Without another thought, Eric left his room, hurrying down the hall. He knew that the waters at night could be dangerous, turbulent with the presence of the moon. As he finally stepped onto the sand, Eric's eyes darted frantically, eagerly as they scanned the waters.

But there was no one.

--

Flounder panted heavily as he flapped his fins back and forth, making quite the ruckus in hopes that Ariel's prince would hear. It was sort of strange, though. Flounder wanted the plan to work…wanted Eric to hear Ariel and vow to be with her no matter what…but yet…another part of him was hoping that it wouldn't. That Ariel would stay with him and Sebastian and everyone under the sea. He didn't mind collecting human stuff (except when sharks were around) with her. But did Ariel really have to…be in love with one?

Wasn't there anyone in Atlantica that was good enough? Wasn't he—

No, wait, why was he thinking like that?! Ariel was his best friend!!! And Flounder only—

But before Flounder could finish that thought, Eric appeared on the shore. He quickly dove beneath the water…frowning to himself.

"How could I even think like that?! Ariel and I have been friends for…forever! I mean, I've ALWAYS supported her ideas! Every one of them! They're…fantastic, after all...like Ariel is—AGHHHHHHHH!!!!" Flounder talked back and forth with himself as he swam back to the grotto.

--

Ariel swam a bit towards the shore, swimming just below the surface now. Soon she was seated in the shallow water, hidden by the rocks. Since Ariel was only revealing her torso, she appeared just like any other human. Any other girl. She glanced down at her tail, green, scales sparkling in the light. To Ariel, it was hideous, for it represented the wall between her and Eric. She sighed, her red lips curving downwards. Ariel gulped. Whatever happens, happens…destiny. She wasn't used to being a shy guppy—that was usually Flounder's job. Now she knew it wasn't the least bit of fun! Ariel took a deep breath, and she began to sing.

"What would I give

To live where you are?

What would I pay

To stay here right beside you?

What would I do

To see you, smiling at me?

Where would we walk?

Where would run?

If we could stay all day in the sun?

Just you and me,

And I could be,

Part of your world,"

Ariel sang, and it was the most beautiful she ever had. She put every scale and feeling into the words, and her voice filled the moonlit sky. And now, she waited, holding her breath. The waters and waves turned and rolled over the white sands. The castle looked more magical than she had ever seen, glowing prettily. A few lights were flickering inside. Her red hair rippled like waves in the salty ocean wind. Ariel tightened her hold on the rock, still partially hidden. Please, please, let him hear my voice. Let him hear what my heart wants to say.

Let me love him.


	2. Real as the sea

CHAPTER 2:

The splashing vanished.

Eric stood there for a moment, listening, straining to hear anything, anything that would leave a sign that there was someone there. But it was silent_. It was...just a dream_, Eric thought to himself, running his hand through his hair roughly. _Just a dream_. Eric sat down on the sand, holding his head in his hands. How could this be happening? Only a few days ago, he had been completely together. Eric knew he wanted to be in love. It wasn't like he didn't want to finally have someone who could completely understand him, someone he could share everything with. He did. But Eric had been all right with waiting just a little longer to find that certain someone.

And then, Eric had found her. The girl who was like the glimmer of the sunlight on the sea...with a voice, an indescribable voice! And she had saved him, swimming him over to the shore. But then, just as quickly as she had found him, he had lost her. No matter how long he stayed out there the rest of the day, wondering if she would come back to shore...it didn't matter. And it was killing him! Eric knew he shouldn't have listened to Grimsby upon awakening on the shore. He should have looked around the beach or even gone back into the water, searching for the girl who had rescued him. At this point, it almost seemed as if he would never see her again.

At least, until, he heard her voice.

It was as silvery as he could remember…no, more than that. Eric hadn't even thought that could be possible. The words were the same ones he could remember opening his eyes to…and her face. He had only seen it for a moment, but just thinking of it now was enough to make him start to feel dizzy again. But he didn't have time to stop and listen. Eric hurriedly pulled himself to his feet, following the voice like a fish curiously, eagerly chasing a ray of sunlight streaming through the ocean waters.

---

Ariel gasped when the prince came into view, and out of instinct, she slipped further behind the rock, peeking out from the side at him. Oh, he was just as beautiful as he had been on the shore…but…would he like her? Ariel bit her lip. Maybe it would be better if she just went back now. Maybe Sebastian was right.

No...what was she doing?! She said she was going to do this! Ariel raised herself up again, leaning her arms on the surface of the rock. A few feet away, Eric stopped in his tracks. Their eyes met.

Eric's breath caught in his throat. The most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life was in front of him, flaming red hair billowing out like a sail. There was no doubt about it--it was her. She was the one! Eric ran forward, black boots splashing into the tide. She laughed a little, and it sounded like music already to him.

"You're...the one, aren't you?" Eric said, taking her hands in his immediately. "The one I've been looking for! What's your name?!"

Suddenly, Ariel didn't feel so...nervous, anymore. This just felt so right to her. She knew that she and Eric were meant to be! And here he was, right in front of her. His hands felt so warm...it couldn't be any more perfect. She turned and moved towards him a little.

"I'm Ariel! I've been--" Ariel began to answer him excitedly, looking up at his face, when she heard the water behind them splash. Ariel turned behind her, where her green tail lay in plain view, raised, and dripping with water. "I..." her voice trailed off, and her hands squirmed free in his. Ariel moved behind the rock again. She was beginning to doubt herself again…her father and Sebastian's words ringing in her head._ Ariel, stop talking crazy. Have you lost your senses completely? He's a human, you're a mermaid! Down HERE is your home! Ariel - listen to me. The human world - it's a mess._

Ariel…it was…kinda pretty. He had never heard of that name before, yet it seemed to suit her in every way. Eric smiled at Ariel…when he noticed that she had moved away.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked, for he hadn't seen the tail. He moved and she moved, and they looked as if they were chasing each other around the rock, or even doing some sort of dance. Ariel was now the one closest to the shore, while Eric had his back turned to the sea. His face was confused and concerned, while hers had shimmers of fear. Ariel open her mouth, about to say something, when a rather large wave rose behind him.

"Eric, look out!" she exclaimed, and without thinking, Ariel dashed towards him, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the rock just in time. If the wave had crashed down on him, Eric could have been thrown against it. The wave splashed over both of them. Now they were both soaking wet, water to their waists..yet, they were in each others arms. Ariel looked up Eric. His hair dripped in front of his face, and she giggled.

He had saved her again. It made Eric feel somewhat helpless…he wouldn't have even been able to find her if it wasn't for…well, her. Yet, his pride didn't really matter to him right now.

Eric raised a hand to sweep away his hair, and for a moment, he just marveled at her. Just the way the moonlight hit her skin and how her red waves stood out...her eyes that resembled the bluest sea in the middle of the ocean, with hints of the color the cloudless sky was. The way her lips turned up while she laughed. It was more than enough to make him completely disregard her strange clothing. And then Eric joined in her laughter--both of their cheer thrown into the quiet, moonlit night.


	3. One breath closer

and so without further ado, chapter 3!

totally mushy, this one XD i was already worried about the goo in the previous chapter, but now, i think i'm drowning in it!!!

YEAH THERE'S A REASON WHY HE DIDN'T SEE THE TAIL EARLIER D= SO MUCH PRESSURE. that's such a key moment LOL and i was freaking out about screwing it up, but i managed to finish it =O LET'S HOPE IT'S OKAY

CHAPTER 3: "One breath closer"

Little did the two lovebirds know, a rather unfriendly pair of eyes was watching them intently, furiously.

Ursula hadn't seen what lead up to this moment, having thought that Ariel was asleep in her shell bed and everything else was going according to plan. She was lucky she was able to even catch this part. But the sea witch was assuming that Eric had already discovered the tail, and dear darling princey-poo was getting all romantic on her and casting that one little detail aside for his and Ariel's love. Typical soft-shelled royalty.

"No!" Ursula screeched as she saw this scene begin to unravel through Flotsam and Jetsam. She had planned on luring that little redheaded niece of hers to her lair before anything like this could happen, and giving her legs in return for her voice. She would say that if Ariel didn't get a kiss of true love in three days, she would turn back into a mermaid and then belong to the sea witch. Ursula had figured that that prince wouldn't be able to realize who she was without the voice, but now…now, her plans were ruined! All because Ariel decided that she was a big girl now and could actually set out to do the things she planned. It disgusted Ursula.

This was terrible!

Now, Eric knew it was Ariel. It wouldn't matter if she exchanged the legs for voice now—he would kiss her in a heartbeat. In fact, Ursula wouldn't be surprised if they kissed right now. She made a face and quickly told Flotsam and Jetsam they could return home. Ursula crossed her large arms. Well, this was just perfect, wasn't it?!

Suddenly, an idea sprung in her mind. Well, actually, maybe it was.

Ursula could take something besides her voice. Something just as or even more precious! Oh, this was too good. This time, she would take no chances. Ursula began to take potions down from her cupboards…essence of angelfish, silverfish, and more, laughing and throwing them into her bumbling cauldron.

-------

Ariel smiled at Eric as he laughed. To her, that was the most beautiful sound in the sea…or literally, standing in the sea. As she stared up at Eric, Ariel knew that she didn't have anything to be worried about. She knew that her father was wrong. Humans weren't barbarians…and Eric, he was…he was her everything, and she knew that he would love her no matter what.

"Eric, I have something to tell you," Ariel said, and this time, she was the one who took his hands. Eric smiled at her. "I'm not…what I seem."

"What do you mean, Ariel?" Eric asked, completely puzzled by this question. She said she was the one…and he knew it could only be her. Then what was she saying now? Ariel took a deep breath and let go of him. She moved backwards a little, and finally, Ariel lifted her tail a little out of the water.

"I'm…a mermaid, Eric," Ariel said. She glanced towards the water, unable to look at his face…afraid of seeing him upset or sickened. "I-I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore, but I think I might be able to go to my Aunt Ursula and have her help me get legs—"

"I've never seen anything more beautiful before," Eric interrupted Ariel.

Ariel's eyes widened. "What…?"

Eric waded towards her in the water. He was still smiling…perhaps even more. A bubble of hope swelled in Ariel's chest.

"I've always loved the sea, Ariel, and now I know that the girl I want to be with knows it even more than I do. I wouldn't have it any other way," Eric said, his words genuine.

"Really?!" Ariel said, and she swam closer to him. Eric laughed, watching her stunning green tail move in the waters gracefully.

"Really. But, do you really think your aunt can help us?" Eric asked, curious about the idea. A mermaid getting legs…well, he guessed that if mermaids could exist, magic could too. Ariel bit her lip.

"I think so. Her magic is known to be evil, but she hasn't done anything bad in a long time…so…maybe she would help me," Ariel said hopefully. She was a little skeptical about meeting her aunt after so much time, but what choice did she have? Ariel knew that her father would never understand. She hated the idea of never being able to go on morning swims with her sisters again, but…Eric was her world now, her sea, her home. He couldn't come down to live in Atlantica…he had a duty to his kingdom. And Ariel knew she couldn't give something like this up so easily. It wasn't as if her sisters couldn't visit, or Ariel couldn't swim out to sea with her human legs.

"All right then…just be careful, Ariel," Eric said, a little doubtful about this Ursula, but…what choice did they have? He smiled at Ariel, knowing that they would find a way to make this work. Then his smile broke out into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Ariel asked, curiously.

"Well, it's just that…now I know why I couldn't find you," Eric said, rubbing the back of his neck, grinning. "I wouldn't really have thought about checking underwater." Ariel giggled.

"And that's sort of the only place I've been for the past few days," Ariel replied. Eric grinned, and they both laughed together.

A strong gust of wind blew by then, and Ariel and Eric turned towards the sea. The black blanket of sky lay in front of them, dotted with bright stars as far as the eye could see.

"Wow, the stars are WONDERFUL tonight!" Ariel exclaimed. She turned back to Eric, shrugging. "We don't get to see many down in the sea…except for seastars."

Eric smirked. "Well, then maybe I'll have to give you the grand tour," he said. Suddenly, Eric bent down, scooping up Ariel in his arms and lifting her out of the water. Her scales felt cool against his skin…but her back was warm.

"Eric!" Ariel exclaimed, surprised, looking down at the water beneath her. She turned back to look at him…his face was so close. Her hand was on the back of his neck, and Eric leaned forward. Their lips met.

Ariel couldn't help it—a tear coursed down her cheek. She never would have dreamed it would work out so well. Ariel hated to admit it, but her father…and Sebastian's words had reached to her at one point, making her worry that Eric wouldn't accept her for what she was. Now that she knew he did, Ariel felt that nothing could stop them from being together.

---

Ursula wiped her forehead with her arm. Finally, she was ready. She smirked to herself. The little princess would have no idea what she was in for.

--

Eric finally drew back from the kiss—though her lips were so soft that it was difficult to stop—and they smiled at each other. Eric wiped away her tear gently with his thumb without saying a word. Ariel wrapped her arms around his neck, and Eric exhaled, so relieved that he had finally found her. He carried her over to the shore, where he gently set Ariel down on the sand. Eric lied down next to her, staring up at the sky. Ariel watched and copied his movement. He held one of her hands, and with his free one, he pointed up at the sky.

"You see those stars, Ariel? That's Aquarius."

"Like…my great great uncle? He's…stars, now?"

"…what? No, they're constellations…pictures formed from the stars."

"Oh! Okay! That cluster over there sort of looks like my friend Flounder! You see, that over there is one of his fins! He's the one who helps me find human things. Yesterday, we…"

And the two of them lied together there, talking about their family and friends, their lives up until now, laughing and smiling the night away.


	4. Take a gulp and take a breath

Thank you guys for all the support about the mush XD! Sadly, there's no mush here =( but there will be plenty in the future. =3

By the way, in my version, I forgot to say—Triton never went to the grotto and destroyed Ariel's things-- he doesn't know a thing about Eric XD! Yet =D

And what Ariel gives up for legs may make no sense, but I promise, it'll work out. XD

Most of this is modeled after the scene from the movie. I try to keep it sort of close to the original ;D

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CHAPTER 4: "Take a gulp and take a breath"

Even though Ariel had returned back home later than usual (sneaking into her shell bed, after Flounder had covered for her by stuffing a bunch of seaweed under her blanket), she woke up feeling more well rested than anything. At least, until she remembered that she had to meet Ursula today. Normally, things didn't make Ariel very nervous, but her sea witch of an aunt was a completely different subject. But…she would do whatever she could in able to get legs, for Eric. Just remembering the way he had swept away her hair away from her forehead was enough to shoo away some of the nerves.

Ariel snuck off as soon as she could and began swimming towards her aunt's lair. She hadn't been there before…but she knew where it was. Flounder caught the flash of red behind the kelp bed…just as Sebastian caught a flash of yellow and blue. He lowered his eyes. What was that fish and Ariel up to now…?

Flounder swam after Ariel as fast as he could. She had told him everything last night, whispering it to him excitedly, occasionally hugging her pillow while her sisters slept. Flounder still couldn't really understand while he felt so…horrible when he listened to it! But it didn't matter right now! Ariel was going to the sea witch to get LEGS!

"Ariel!!!" Flounder shouted. Ariel stopped and turned around, making her best friend crash into her.

"Flounder? Are you all right?!"

"Ariel, don't do it!"

"What?"

"Don't become human!"

"BECOME HUMAN?!?!!?"

Ariel and Flounder turned around, where Sebastian was clinging to Flounder's fin. Ariel quickly pulled him off (as Flounder winced).

"Oh, please, Sebastian, don't tell Daddy!"

"Ariel, are you CRAZY?!" Sebastian continued to shout. Ariel quickly put her hand over his mouth.

"Eric…he accepts me for who I am now! But…we can't be together unless I get legs…" Ariel tried to explain quickly. "Please be quiet!" Sebastian began to yell again, but his voice was muffled by Ariel's hand. Finally, he calmed down, and Ariel slowly moved her hand away. Sebastian smiled at Ariel and cleared his throat.

"HE SAW YOU AS A MERMAID?!" Sebastian shouted then, frown reappearing. Why, if she was his daughter--

Ariel cringed and covered his mouth again. Now what was she going to do? She couldn't let him go…or…well…that was it.

"Come on, Flounder! Let's go!" Ariel said, continuing to swim swiftly towards Ursula's lair, now keeping Sebastian a hostage.

"B-B-B-But Ariel!" Flounder tried to convince her to stay again.

"Shhh! Hurry up!" Ariel whispered.

Once they reached the lair, Ariel began to have second thoughts again. In the entrance, there were…strange…souls, swaying in the underwater currents. When Ariel appeared, they began to move towards her. Flounder shrieked and moved behind Ariel, while Sebastian began to squirm against her hand.

---

"Ursula…she's," Flotsam began.

"Here," Jetsam finished.

Ursula smoothed back her white hair, turning towards the entrance. Ah, right on time. She smiled. The little princess was trying to pull her arm free as one of her dear darling little garden worms was wrapping himself around her.

"Come in. Come in, my child. We mustn't lurk in doorways - it's rude. One MIGHT question your upbringing. . . . " Ursula laughed, making her way over to Ariel. The unfortunate souls parted way for the sea witch immediately, and Ariel finally managed to get her arm back.

"Aunt Ursula…" Ariel began.

"Now, then. You're here because you have a thing for this human. This, er, prince fellow. Not that I blame you - he is quite a catch, isn't he?" Ursula interrupted, eager to get things moving along to get her prize. "You want to become human."

"Y-Yes," Ariel nodded. Sebastian struggled harder against Ariel, yet he was still unable to pinch her. Not because he didn't want to (because he had a feeling that it might wake her up, even though he never wanted to cause her harm—simply because he felt this would save her from more harm), but because her fingers were also wrapped around his body. "Can you do that?"

A slow smile came across Ursula's face. She placed her hand on Ariel's shoulder.

"My dear, sweet child. That's what I do - it's what I live for. To help unfortunate merfolk - like yourself. Poor souls with no one else to turn to," Ursula exclaimed, and Ariel's face lit up. Ursula had to control herself from smirking.

"Oh, thank you, Aunt Ursula! I—"

"Oh – one moment, dear! We haven't discussed the subject of payment. You can't get something for nothing, you know!" she said, hand coming to scuttle up her shoulder like a crab.

"But I don't have any--"

"I'm not asking much. Just a token, really, a trifle. You'll never even miss it. What I want from you is . . . your memory of Eric!" Ursula exclaimed.

"My...memory?"

"You've got it, sweetcakes. No more recollection, remembrance, reminiscence--zip!"

"But without my memory, how can I--"

"Listen, angelfish, if you really do think you and Eric are meant to be, you should have no worries about falling in love with him all over again. It's not like you'll forget everything! Just a certain little Italian. You'll appear up on shore, he'll notice you--you'll still have your looks and voice, mind you--there's bound to be something, right? It'll be just the same between you two lovefish in a minute," Ursula said, swirling her finger around. A contract appeared in the waters, lighting up the lair with its glow. "I can make a potion that will turn you into a human for three days. Got that? Three days. Now listen, this is important. Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get dear ol' princey to fall in love with you all over again. That is, he's got to kiss you. Not just any kiss - the kiss of true love. If he does kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain human, permanently, but - if he doesn't, you turn back into a mermaid, and - you belong to me."

"Ariel! Don't listen t--" Sebastian began to shout, when Flotsam quickly coiled his body around the crab to silence him. As Flounder tried to get through to her, Jetsam mimicked the movement, and Ariel's friends were both rendered silent.

"Oh, and one more thing--he'll also forget about you."

"But..." Ariel began, but she found herself at loss for words.

"Sorry, darling, it's a bit of a joint deal. But hey, it's not like we're undoing history! Princey poo'll remember the dazzling beauty who rescued him from certain sea peril...just not the eensy teensy detail that it was you!" Ursula smiled at Ariel almost hungrily, like a shark waiting for his meal. "The choice is very simple, my sweet! If you want to be with Eric, you'll sign the scroll."

Ariel bit her lip...last night with Eric...it had meant the world to her. He had accepted her for who she was...and...they had kissed. But if she didn't give up that one beautiful moment, she'd never have any more with him again. With her eyes squeezed shut, Ariel signed the contract, Sebastian and Flounder's protests muffled against Flotsam and Jetsam. Ursula laughed, snatching up some potions as she did. Oh, she knew the little princess would accept!

"Paluga, sarruga, come winds of the Caspian Sea! Now rings us amnesia and prosopamnesia! Memoria to me!" Ursula exclaimed, throwing the potions into the cauldron. There were explosions of colors and swirls of smoke. "Now, think of Eric!"

Ariel closed her eyes and thought about their time together last night, gazing up at the stars. She thought of when she first saw him up on the deck of the ship, laughing with the other sailors...and thanking the other human for the statue that stood in her grotto. Large green hands rose out from the cauldron and enclosed around Ariel's head for a moment. As they pulled away, a gold light escaped from Ariel's mind and floated over to Ursula. She smiled and stored it away in her necklace.

Suddenly, Ariel felt something ice cold rush up in the middle of her tail. It spread out slowly, but before she could see what was happening, she began to choke on the water. Sebastian managed to finally get one claw free, and he quickly pinched Flotsam. The eel screeched and released the crab, and Jetsam freed Flounder to help him.

"Quick, Flounder! She can't breathe!" Sebastian said, and Flounder quickly swum over to Ariel, tucking himself under her arm and swimming out of her lair, and up towards the surface. After they burst though the water, Ariel began to cough. Flounder carried her over to the shore and set her down on the sand. Her eyes were closed.

"Ariel? Ariel! Wake up!?" Flounder shouted, and Sebastian crawled to her side. Ariel slowly lifted her head, rubbing her eyes. As her vision slowly came into focus, she saw a pair of two perfect feet in front of her.

"OH MY GOSH!" Ariel exclaimed, teal eyes widening. "What happened?!"


	5. The world above

Thank you guys so much for the continuing support! It really, really brightens my day. And Poseidon knows I need it because of school starting up again =o!

Okay, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter ;D

---

CHAPTER 5: "The world above"

Ariel bent over and looked at her new feet, wiggling her toes. How in the sea did this happen?! She couldn't remember a thing! One moment, she had been adding a dinglehopper to her collection, and now, Ariel was up on land…with legs! She couldn't believe it! Maybe Poseidon had granted her wish? It was a little scary, but…this meant she could finally see real humans…and talk to them! Ariel knew that she should stop to properly think everything out but…she wasn't sure how long this would last, so she wanted to explore EVERYTHING she could before going back to the sea. Ariel scrambled to her feet—and promptly fell back onto the sand. Ariel giggled.

"Hmm…I can't use THESE well yet," she began, lifting her foot and wiggling her toes again. It felt so funny! "But...soon I'll be able to…stroll along a street, and…and see people dancing! Spend the whole day in the sun!" Ariel exclaimed.

Flounder peered up at his best friend. She really HAD forgotten everything. "Ariel!" he said in a worried tone. Sebastian looked at the fish. _Oh, now he's going to tell her everything. Well, I guess we don't have another choice._

Ariel noticed the pair of eyes on her. She grinned at Flounder. "What?"

"Oh…n-nothing, it's nothing," Flounder said, smiling back nervously. If she didn't remember things, maybe she would never have to meet Eric. Maybe—

"FLOUNDER!" Sebastian shouted, shocked that Ariel's best friend wasn't telling her everything. "Can I speak to you for a moment?" The two went behind a rock, while Ariel continued to try to use her new legs, picking herself up, walking a few steps, and then losing her balance again.

"Flounder," Sebastian said, smiling. "It's a very nice idea of you to try to keep Eric as a secret so Arielle can go back home n' everything can be normal again."

Flounder's eyes widened. He hadn't really thought it all out like that, but it could be true. "Um, y-yeah! I…I think her place really is in the sea, a-and…"

"EXCEPT DAT IF SHE DOESN'T GET DAT KISS, SHE BELONGS TO URSULA!" Sebastian shouted, crossing his claws. Flounder drew back a little. He had forgotten about that already. Oh, why did things have to work out this way?! Why did Ariel have to go to the sea witch!?

"Okay, okay! I'll tell her! It's just that…it's just that…I think I'm in love with Ariel!" Flounder shouted, finally telling someone how he felt. Or at least, how he thought he felt. It was sort of weird. Flounder thought that he would feel better after getting it off his chest, but instead, he felt the same. Sebastian's dropped his jaw. He was in love with Ariel?!

"For how long, boy?!"

"I..I don't know! All I know that after she met Eric, I began to feel jealous and unhappy."

Sebastian listened for a moment, thinking. And then he realized what had happened. The crab began to laugh. He put a claw on Flounder's back. "Oh, Flounder. You ain't in love with Arielle!"

"I'm not?"

"No! I went through de same thing wit one of my sistas once! She was all in love wit dis lobster," Sebastian began, rolling his eyes at remembering that certain crustacean. He was a bad one. "Anyways, it wasn't because I was in love with her. It was because I was afraid of losing her…dat that boy was stealing my sista, my best friend away!"

Flounder's eyes grew even larger. It all made sense! "You're right, Sebastian! I think I'm afraid of Ariel not being my friend anymore!" Sebastian nodded and smiled.

"Don't worry, Flounder. Arielle will always be your friend," Sebastian assured the fish. Flounder smiled at Sebastian. He knew he was right. How could he have doubted Ariel before?

"Let's go tell Ariel everything so she can get back with Eric!" Flounder said. The two turned to go back to their now-human friend…when they both gasped. There was nothing but sand, sea, and rocks.

"Where did that child go now!?"

"ARIEL!!!!"

---

"Carlotta, who's that girl you found?"

"Oh, little Ariel? Pretty little thing, ain't she? Found her on the shore! Poor dear says she's come from the sea. Another shipwreck, I suppose!"

"More competition for our prince? She's not my idea of a princess. If Eric's looking for a girl, I know a couple of highly available ones right here!"

"Oh hush now! Get that laundry done, dearie. I'm going to go help bring her this dress."

Carlotta took a stunning teal ball gown. It had been one of Eric's mother's actually, the darling woman. Carlotta smiled a little at the sight of it. She'd kept it in mint condition, and now, it could finally be worn by another lovely girl. She hummed to herself as she made way back to the bath chambers, knocking on the door.

"Ariel, dear? Are you done?"

"Come in!"

Carlotta opened the door and gasped. There were bubbles as far as the eye could see. On the walls, on the windows, on the floor…on Ariel! The redheaded miss giggled.

"Isn't it wonderful?!" she exclaimed, throwing more up into the air. Carlotta muffled a laugh.

"Yes, yes, wonderful. Come now, honey, let's dry you up," Carlotta said, putting the dress on the hook on the door.

Ariel stood up in the bath (it was so funny! The water didn't taste anything like the water at home…it was very warm and actually sort of burned her throat) and tried to get down, when she slipped on the soapy floor and landed in the pile of towels. Carlotta couldn't help laughing again, and she went over to help rub Ariel down with the towels (Ariel laughing all the while—it tickled!). Once she was all dry and dressed, Carlotta beamed at her as if she was her daughter. Such a lovely little sight!

"I'll take you over to Grimsby now, and we'll see what we can do."

"Oh! The old beanpole!" Ariel exclaimed immediately, excitedly.

"What did you say?" Carlotta asked, surprised. Only Eric called him that!

"Oh…nothing!" Ariel said, and Carlotta shook her head. Must've been her imagination! Carlotta thought. She took Ariel's hand and began to lead her downstairs. After Carlotta turned away, Ariel frowned. Old beanpole…how did she know that? She couldn't remember. Little did Ariel know, she had heard Eric say it before on the ship. However, she forgot about this when she walked through the halls. Paintings! And statues! Magnificent from head to toe! Oh, it was all so splendid. She couldn't stop looking around.

The two reached the bottom of the stairs, just as an elderly human walked through the doors.

"Carlotta, my dear, whatever have you called me here fo—" Grimsby began, when his eyes grew large.

"Another dearie from a shipwreck," Carlotta smiled, nodding towards Ariel. "Her name's Ariel." Ariel grinned.

"Hello!" she exclaimed.

---

Sebastian looked at the footsteps in the sand. There were two pairs! But judging by the size of the other one, he didn't think it had been Eric. Still, the castle would be the first place to check.

"Flounder, I'm going to go find Arielle! You…you make sure de sea king doesn't find out about this! At least, not yet! And make sure to come back sometimes in case I need your help!" Sebastian said.

"Okay!" Flounder said. "Hurry, Sebastian! She still doesn't know about Eric!"

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying!" Sebastian said, scuttling across the sand. "Honestly! That Arielle! That child is completely out of her shell!"

---

Ariel couldn't put a finger on it…but for some reason, she felt like she had seen Grimsby before. Ariel didn't know when she could have though. Still, she continued to smile at him.

"Why, hello! Ariel…that's quite a nice name. Hmm…all right, well, maybe Eric will know what to do with this one," Grimsby said. The door opened again, this time, a beautiful human girl walking out. Her eyes were as violet as a sea urchin, skin as pale and perfect as the finest grains of salt. She had dark brown hair that flowed to her waist elegantly, and a pretty seashell necklace.

"Oh, Ariel, this is Vanessa! She's a survivor of a ship wreck too. She actually saved our prince from certain peril at sea! Oh, you can imagine how happy Eric was to find her! It felt like it was the first time he's really smiled in days!" Grimsby laughed to himself. Yes, Eric really had been lucky. Grimsby himself hadn't really believed the story about the girl with the beautiful voice who saved his friend, but well, now, here she was!

"Hello, Ariel," Vanessa said with a slow smile, her voice sweet, soothing, silvery.

"Hi, Vanessa!" Ariel exclaimed happily, seizing the brunette's hand and shaking it eagerly as she was told humans did. "It's nice to meet you!"


	6. Marvels galore, and even more!

SORRY this chapter is so overdue and the writing is completely shoddy! School has been a killer. Might consider rewriting this DX but I hope it's okay for now! I'll make it up to you guys in the next chapter, I promise!!!! I was too tired to proofread this too, so please forgive the badness. Hope you all are having a good year so far though!

-----

CHAPTER 6: "Marvels galore, and even more"

"It's lovely to meet you too," Vanessa replied back, her voice like silver chimes. Ariel grinned back at the girl. Humans were so nice!

"Vanessa has quite the voice, doesn't she?" Grimsby chuckled. "It really is a shame that the shock of the shipwreck has temporarily took away her singing voice, though."

"Grimsby!" Carlotta said, wagging her finger at him as if to note that he might be spilling too much. "Let's not be rude now!"

"Ah, pardon me, you're quite right, Carlotta!" Grimsby said, shaking his head though a few chuckles continued. "Do forgive me, Vanessa." The brunette beauty's smile grew wider.

"Oh, it's perfectly all right," Vanessa replied. "I'm sure my voice will be back in time." She seemed to be very pleased about something, and Ariel was a little curious as to what it was…and what her voice would be "in time" for. There was something very interesting about this female human, but Ariel wasn't sure what it was. But before she could search through her thoughts for an answer, Carlotta gently placed a hand on Ariel's shoulder.

"I just brought Ariel downstairs to introduce her to the both of ya, but I think it's best she has a bit more rest for the evening," Carlotta suggested.

"A fine idea, my dear."

"But ya can send Eric up once he's done walking Max," Carlotta nodded, smiling. Grimsby thought he saw Vanessa's eyes to flash dark for a moment, but then he brushed it off his shoulder. He had just been spending too much time these days with his duties.

"Okay! Bye Grimsby and Vanessa!" Ariel said, not entirely against resting a little. It wasn't that she was tired…the little mermaid just wanted to explore the room she would be staying in. It was bound to be different from the one back home! As Carlotta lead the cheery redhead up to her bedchambers, she laughed a little.

"He's a funny thing, that Grimsby! Acts like he completely accepts Vanessa! Lord knows that he's still hosting the contest the day after tomorrow despite she saying she's the one and all. He wants to make sure little Eric has the right "mystery" girl for certain," Carlotta sighed, though she could understand how he felt. The two of them felt rather protective of the prince, having almost raised him themselves.

"A contest?" Ariel asked, breaking her concentration on walking up the stairs. She was trying to get a hang of her human feet. The big clothes she was wearing didn't help too much either!

"A singing contest!"

"Wow, how fun!" Ariel exclaimed, a little reminded of the concerts they used to have back home. Carlotta beamed at the girl, she was such a sweet darling thing. She opened the double doors to the room. Ariel gasped.

The headboard of the bed was shaped like a seashell with a beautiful seafoam bedset. There was a gorgeous balcony with a perfect view of the waves, and the furniture was all grand with an Italian touch. There were various treasures of the sea scattered about to give it a more homey feel to the owner. It reminded Ariel of Atlantica, yet…it was all…human! She loved it!

Carlotta always found the room a little kitschy. It had been designed by Grimsby after all, and he tended to overemphasize everything, Eric's statue being a fine example (the one thing that had been lost in the shipwreck that everyone save the creator was fine with). However, after seeing Ariel's face light up, she found herself seeing it through the newcomer's eyes…and it didn't seem quite as bad. She smiled.

"You just get yourself settled in then, dearie. Eric or I will come to check back on you in a while!" she said promptly before leaving. Once she was gone, Ariel fell back onto the bed with a deep sigh. It was so…comfy! And a little bouncy! She giggled, but then felt something move from under the pillow. A very familiar red crab squirmed out from underneath. Sebastian moved over in front of Ariel. He had been in the garden previously, where a man was cutting flowers to make a fresh bouquet for the latest shipwreck victim. Sebastian hadn't thought too much of the "victim" when he first heard it, only looking to find a way in. The crab blended in with the colorful flora and had been taken into this very room, just before Ariel herself entered.

"Sebastian! How did you get in here?!" Ariel asked, surprised.

"Arielle, you've got to listen to me! Da prince! Prince Eric! He…He!" Sebastian sputtered, too busy freaking out to feel fortunate that he had been brought to the right room.

"Are you okay?" Ariel said, concerned.

"No, no, don't worry about me, child! You've got ta listen! You're in love with Prince Eric! Ya saved him from de shipwreck! And you got ta get a kiss from him n' three days or ye gonna belong to de sea witch!"

"What are you talking about, Sebastian!?" Ariel asked, shocked. In love?! She didn't remember liking ANYBODY! And… "VANESSA saved him from the shipwreck! And I don't remember meeting any humans before today! AND, I haven't seen Aunt Ursula in _years_, Sebastian."

"Ye both lost your memories! We don't got time to talk about it! Ya just gotta hurry and get dat kiss!" Suddenly, Sebastian's jaw dropped. What did she say?! Vanessa?! Who was that!? No, it was impossible! But before he could ask, Ariel laughed.

"Sebastian," Ariel began to giggle (she couldn't help it, he was acting so funny!). "I don't—"

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Ariel quickly lifted the pillow and pushed Sebastian underneath it.

"Come in!" Ariel called.

A man in, rubbing the back of his neck…but he was grinning. Ariel's eyes widened. He was so…handsome and refined…and slim. Her brow lowered into a puzzled frown. He seemed very…familiar, somehow. Ariel almost felt as if she had met him before! But that was just crazy!

Eric stared right back at Ariel, mirroring her confusion. She was stunning, simply stunning. Her skin was radiant in the sunlight that streamed through the windows. Her eyes…well, Eric finally understood what people were talking about when they said "her eyes just sparkled". Lips as red as cherries curved upward, and there was a small dimple on her left cheek, giving her smile a bit of a playful turn. And those red waves…where had he seen them before? For a moment, Eric pictured a girl giggling cheerfully as waters rolled on the sand under a dark sky. There was a sharp stab of pain in his mind, and he clutched his forehead. What was he doing? Vanessa was the one he loved. He was just being foolish. He hadn't met Ariel before. He definitely would have remembered her. Eric cleared his throat and offered the girl a welcoming smile.

"Hello…! You're…Ariel, right? Carlotta's told me everything. You're welcome to sta—" Eric began to speak, when suddenly, Ariel moved forward, reaching out and seizing his large hands in hers. Eric jumped slightly at the action, a little caught off guard…but for some reason, he didn't recoil. He turned down, looking at her dainty hands grasping his. They were smaller and slimmer than his…almost a bad fit. Yet, Ariel's hands felt so much warmer than Vanessa's had, and Eric would have to admit, he liked it. But it was wrong…it was wrong, wrong, wrong! Vanessa was the one, not Ariel.

Behind the pillow, Sebastian watched, and a sigh of relief came over him. It seemed like both of them sort of remembered each other…maybe they just needed a push? "Thank Poseidon! Dat girl is gonna—" he began to say, when Eric's eyes grew wide and turned to look behind Ariel's shoulder, though she still held his hand. Sebastian stifled an "Eee!" and scuttled quickly back to his hiding spot. Ariel glanced back and whispered a sharp "Sebastian!"

"Did you hear that?" Eric asked, frowning in confusion and glancing around the room a little, too caught up with his own surprise to hear Ariel's whisper. His words pulled Ariel out of her reverie and she snapped back to smile at him. But then her eyes fell down, suddenly realizing what she had just done. It was so strange! Her hands had just moved on their own!

"Oh!" Ariel exclaimed, withdrawing her hands and clasping her hands together behind her back. "Um…no…!" she shook her head back and forth.

"It sounded like someone with an accent talking about the seas, or…" Eric began, when he realized that he probably wasn't making the best first impression. He sighed, shaking his head, but was still able to laugh at himself a little. "I'm sorry. I actually came up here to invite you to dinner."

"Really?!" Ariel asked excitedly, very happy all of a sudden. At first Ariel thought it was because it would be her first human dinner…but it felt a little different than that. Her heart…

--"Vanessa, Grimsby and I would love for you to join us."—

…felt like it was breaking.

But Ariel forced a smile. "That would be wonderful!" she replied.

" Great! I'll see you downstairs in a few minutes then," Eric said, grinning at Ariel. He walked over to the door and started to leave, when he stopped. Eric turned to look back at her. Ariel had taken a seat on the bed and was facing the pillow. He frowned, shaking his head again to himself.

"Oh!" Ariel exclaimed. By chance, she had turned back in his direction, surprised to see the prince still there. But she beamed at him as if it was a nice surprise, and Eric felt his cheeks grow warm.

"I…well…see you at dinner," Eric stumbled over his words and quickly closed the door behind him. He sighed, back pressed against the wood. What was he getting himself into? He had just found Vanessa, the love of his life, and now he was having second thoughts. He hated himself for it.

Meanwhile, back inside, Ariel scooped up Sebastian from behind the pillow.

"Now do you believe me? Ya two obviously met before! We gotta put you two in the right mood!" Sebastian shouted. Ariel bit her lip.

"I think I do," Ariel agreed. She couldn't deny that she definitely felt something special between her and Eric. He made her heart soar and hurt at the same time, and that definitely wasn't an everyday feeling! "What should we do, Sebastian?"

"You gotta sing for de prince! Then he'll know it's you!" Sebastian said. He didn't know who this "Vanessa" was or what she was trying to do, but either way, once Eric heard Ariel's voice, Sebastian was sure that he would remember her. Fortunately, it didn't seem like Ursula had planned anything so that Ariel wouldn't get that kiss.

Or so, he thought.


	7. Something for tempting the palate!

YEAH this is really late X_X I'm so sorry! Bleh. And I can't say it's really worth the wait =( I've just been really busy, but I really do miss writing this fanfic! D=

But anyways, I hope you can find it in your hearts to enjoy this at least somewhat XD

D= so sorry again.

But =D Only three more chapters to go!333

---

CHAPTER 7: "Something for tempting the palate!"

All of a sudden, there was another knock at the door. Sebastian hurried behind the pillow once again as Ariel called "Come in!" Carlotta opened the door, accompanied by another maid.

"Sorry to interrupt you, honey! I've just brought Mildred here to come get some laundry, 's all!" she beamed at the little redhead. Before Ariel could say anything, the woman walked over to the bed and yanked up the _pillows_.

"Wait!" Ariel exclaimed…but there was nothing there.

"What?" Mildred asked, in a scruffy, yet, not exactly harsh voice.

Sebastian?

"Umm…thank you, Mildred," Ariel smiled, her voice trailing off a little. "But I'm sure you have a lot to carry, so…maybe I could…help you!" Mildred lifted an eyebrow at the young lady. None of Eric's guests had ever offered to do that before. She examined Ariel's face for a look of ulterior motive or some sort of sign that the girl was faking it, but there was nothing. She seemed…honest, at least in some aspect.

"No, it's all right," Mildred finally answered, clearing her throat. She pulled the covers off the pillows, while Ariel watched for a flash of red. She wrapped them up in her warms, winding the fabric round and round before placing it on top of her large basket. Worry appeared on Ariel's face when she couldn't find her friend, but Carlotta misinterpreted it as an expression of anxiety after Mildred's coarse words. But as the laundress walked by, Carlotta was certain she caught a glimpse of a smile. Well…that certainly was a first. She chuckled. And to think that Vanessa had simply muttered a "thank you," with a tone that indicated she was brooding over something, while this little girl, the one who _wasn't_ the one for Eric, had made even the most disgruntled maid in all of Italy smile at a single statement. Carlotta smiled and placed her hands on Ariel's shoulders.

"Come on now, dearie, it's time for supper!" she said in a cheerful manner. "Chef's been fixing his specialty—stuffed crab!" Ariel's eyes widened, larger than they had ever been before. Stuffed…CRAB?! Sebastian!!!

--

Meanwhile, Sebastian was pushing and squirming his way through the laundry. It wasn't easy, but he managed to snap his way through, with the help of his claws. He peered outside, looking for a good place to land, and he spotted a cart nearby, with a bowl filled with something green that looked kind of liked seaweed. Spongy enough for a landing! Sebastian jumped out quickly, before the basket was whisked off somewhere else. The metal bowl made a clattering sound against the cart, but the young boy who was pushing it was too busy thinking about a life of fishing instead of catering to notice. Sebastian peeped out and watched as they entered another room that was warmer than the hallway…filled with strange smells. Like if a fish was caught in a hot sea vent or something!

--

As Ariel walked downstairs, she couldn't help but wonder where Sebastian was. Had he escaped from the basket? Or was he being cleaned with the rest of the laundry?! If it was anything like the water Ariel had been cleaned in earlier, she hoped Sebastian didn't breathe or swallow the burning soapy water!

But all her worries dulled to a point when she and Carlotta reached the doorway. Ariel could see Eric sitting at the head of the table, with Vanessa at his left side, and empty chair on the right, and Grimsby seated on the side of that one [the English gentleman had figured that it would be best to have the guests sit next to Eric]. Ariel began to feel nervous for a whole 'nother purpose…and for some reason, it was a familiar feeling.

Carlotta chuckled and gently pushed Ariel forward. "Come on honey. Don't be shy!"

Ariel slowly stepped into the light. Eric was talking to Vanessa…but then…as if there was a magnetic pull, his glance fell away from her and he turned to Ariel. Grimsby had already heard the two enter, on the other hand, and he spoke first.

"Oh, Eric, isn't she a vision?"

Though he hadn't eaten or drunk anything yet, Eric swallowed. "You look – wonderful," he stated, stumbling a little on the words. Ariel grinned, although her cheeks were quickly budding red like roses.

Vanessa glowered. She noticed Eric's hand was resting on the table, and she swiftly moved to place her own on top of it, smiling as prettily as she could while she did. His attention was back to her again, but it took a bit longer than Vanessa would have hoped. Ariel's smile faltered a little.

"Come, come, come, you must be famished. Let me help you, my dear," Grimsby said as he stood up and helped Ariel over to her chair. She sat down, her smile once again broadening. "Thank you!"

Eric couldn't help himself—he moved onto his feet, hand leaving Vanessa's, and pushed the chair in. His mind was trying to convince himself that he was only being polite to this visitor…yet his heart seemed to be trying to tell him something else. Ariel turned, and for another moment of the day, their eyes not only met—they locked into each other, her teal with his gray-blue.

"There we go - ah - quite comfy?" Grimsby spoke, breaking the spell. Eric's eyes widened, feeling those odd emotions stirring up once again, and he returned to his chair. Grimsby glimpsed questionably at the young lad, but continued. "Uh. It's - It's not often that we have such lovely dinner guests, eh Eric?" Ariel was about to say something, when she noticed the dinglehopper on the table! Just look at it all, look how it gleams! Did humans brush their hair before dinner? She knew her sister Alana did, but she thought that was just because Alana cared a lot about her appearance. Her other sisters only brushed their hair in the morning, or before bed. Either way, Ariel couldn't believe that she was actually seeing one inside a human's house! It looked a lot cleaner than the one she had found in the shipwreck!

Ariel picked it up and immediately began running it through her hair excitedly. Eric had been in the middle of taking a sip of his water when he saw the flash of red, and now he raised his eyebrow. Grimsby blinked, and Vanessa turned away so she could hide a triumphant laugh. Ariel hastily set it back down. What was wrong? Wasn't that what dinglehoppers were for? Oh no, had she brushed her hair at the wrong time?!?! Scuttle didn't tell her all the details. Maybe humans brushed it after dinner!

"Uh…well…I…" Ariel began, trying to explain herself, when suddenly, she saw Grimsby holding up a snarfblatt! She gasped. Grimsby noticed her staring at it with her eyes almost glittering.

"Uh, do you like it?" he began, handing it over to the young lass for her to see. "It is rather…fine--" Before Grimsby could finish, Ariel blew the snarblatt hard, expecting to hear music. Since the one she had found in the waters had been filled with kelp and sand, she couldn't wait to hear what sort of sound it made! But instead of a sound, some sort of smoke blew out right in front of Grimsby's face, making it turn as black as…well, a blackfish!

Vanessa's lips curved up noticeably. Oh, this was too easy! This girl obviously was incapable of claiming Eric for herself, what with these continuous blunders she—

Eric burst out laughing. It wasn't a jeering laugh like the one Vanessa had hid earlier, but a nice one, like someone had just told a very good joke.

"Oh my!" Carlotta exclaimed. Remembering his manners, Eric thumped his chest and cleared his throat.

"Ahem. So sorry, Grim." Ariel pursed her lips, sorry herself, and ready to apologize when--

"Why, Eric, that's the first time I've seen you smile in weeks!" Carlotta beamed.

Ariel brightened.

--

Back in the kitchen, Chef Louis was happily preparing the meal for the prince and his guests. Sebastian, on the other hand, wasn't so happy to see fish that looked like his friends being MURDERED right in front of him! King Triton was right! Humans WERE barbarians, in every way! Not that he ever really questioned His Majesty, but really. This was just too true! This human was cutting off their heads and pulling out their bones! And speaking some sort of VOODOO language in a funny accent!

Chef Louis turned to the cart to get some more greens to stuff into the prepared crabs. "ZUT ALORS!" he exclaimed when his eyes fell on the bright red crab sitting in the salad bowl. "I have missed one!" Chef Louis plucked Sebastian out and dropped him into a bowl of sauce. He cheerfully flung some flour on the crab (making Sebastian sneeze in the process) and stuffed him with bread and greens (making Sebastian wheeze). Oh, how he loved this job! Chef Louis tossed him into the boiling pot of water. Or, he thought he did, but Sebastian managed to grab the side of the pot. One of his legs hit the water though, causing the crab to yelp and hop out onto the table.

Chef Louis slowly turned around to the sound, seeing the familiar red figure on the table. He frowned and approached it, picking it up carefully.

"What is zis?" he said, staring at it.

Sebastian dropped his jaw. Now was his chance! He quickly reached up his claw and pinched the human as hard as he could on the nose.

Chef Louis yelped! He dropped Sebastian right on the pot of hot butter and lunged for him again, but Sebastian dodged the hand, leaving the poor chef with a burned one instead. Pots, knives, and sauce were flying everywhere!

--

Grimsby and Carlotta exchanged a glance as various noise could be heard.

"Oh…dear, I think I'd better go see what Louis is up to," Carlotta said with a nervous smile, and she quickly headed off towards the kitchen. When she opened the door, Chef Louis was throwing out everything from under the table! He had gone stark raving mad!

"Come out, you little pipsqueak, and fight like a man!" he barked.

"Louis! What are you doing?" Carlotta scolded, placing her hands on her hips. Chef Louis leapt up at the sound of her voice, hitting his head on the table.

"Well - I - I was just - er, er," Chef Louis stuttered, and then gave in. "I'm sorry, madame." Carlotta simply shook her head and took the dishes away.

--

Ariel stared at the shiny round thing in front of her. What in the name of Poseidon was this?! She glanced around, and everyone else lifted them up…and a crab was inside! Eric and Grimsby were already beginning to eat! Ariel gulped and tried to copy their movement, when she heard a "PSSST". Ariel turned and found no one other than Sebastian…on Vanessa's plate, to boot! Sebastian lifted his claw to his lips. "Shh!" he warned. Suddenly, Vanessa looked down. The crab glanced back up at her…and a crafty smile formed on Vanessa's features all of a sudden. Sebastian's eyes widened. Wait a second…she was going to—

Sebastian inwardly shrieked and shrunk back into his shell as Vanessa's swiftly diving fork aimed for his head! It screeched against the plate loudly.


	8. So wonderfully, impossibly familiar?

FINALLY, a new chapter XD might get to finishing this one before continuing The Seaweed is Always Greener. =) I'm on a huge muse kick for this one as it's getting close to the end [I plan on making two more chapters—ten's a good number XD] hope you guys had a great Valetine's/Singles Awareness Day/Chinese New Year!!!

And I'd just like to say thanks for the kind comments on "The Seaweed is Always Greener", and special buckets of thanks to Converse r Life. ;3 and another person who defended me against someone who plagiarized the story.

Without further ado:

--

Chapter 8: "So wonderfully, impossibly familiar?"

Ariel turned at the sound of the dinglehopper against the plate. What in Atlantica was…her eyes immediately widened to see SEBASTIAN! What was he doing there!? She quickly lifted up the shiny silver thing for him to hide, but Vanessa scowled. She reached towards Sebastian. The crab gasped and, in defense, gave her a mild pinch on the finger. Vanessa grimaced and stifled a "yow!". Instead, she dropped her utensils suddenly and let out an ear-piercing shriek.

"MY CRAB!!!" Vanessa screamed, and pointed towards the retreating Sebastian. She whipped her head to look at the men at the table. Eric and Grimsby, who had been in a deep discussion about the princess of Glauerhaven, finally turned, only to see the brunette pointing at the plain tablecloth.

"Uh, your crab, my dear?" Grimsby repeated, unsure of what on earth the girl meant. Eric rubbed the back of his neck with a curious look on his face.

"It was right there! It crawled onto HER plate!" Vanessa said.

"Oh…w-well, I…" Ariel began, trying to find her way out of this one. But before she could do anything, Carlotta reached over and lifted the shiny dome…to reveal Ariel's meal. A cooked, very dead crab incapable of motion. Vanessa's mouth dropped.

Under the table, Sebastian wheezed. He had dove for Ariel's lap the split second that brunette began screaming. He wiped his forehead with his claw. And he thought those mermaids were bad! Dem humans were CRAZY!

Ariel gave a little shrug and smile. "I…don't think this crab could move," she stated, although she was doing her best not to pinch her nose at the smell of the dead sea creature, or mourn over the loss.

Eric glanced at Vanessa's empty plate, where not even a trace of shell sat.

"I guess Louis forgot a meal," he said, laughing a little at the whole situation. It didn't seem typical for the French perfectionist, but, with the addition of two maidens to the castle, it was possible he had forgotten…even though Vanessa had a plate.

"Oh, well I'll just go send for another one," Carlotta said, always eager to smooth things out.

--

After dinner, there was a live crab hiding behind Ariel and a dead one that she had pretended to eat beneath her feet. It was a good thing the servant took the plate away immediately, or else they might have noticed there weren't any shells left. Everyone was finished as well, patting their mouths with pieces of cloth. The mermaid couldn't help but remember what Sebastian had said earlier. _"You gotta sing for de prince! Then he'll know it's you!"_

"Now, perhaps for tonight's entertainment—" Grimsby started to suggest a poetry recitation in the library, when Ariel interrupted, thinking on her fin—oh, er…feet.

"I could sing!" she exclaimed, and her eyes glanced towards Eric's hopefully.

"Not before the contest," Vanessa said flatly and coldly, but then she scooted her chair over to be closer to Eric. She linked her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder. "Right, Eric?"

Eric opened his mouth to speak, when he found he didn't know what to say. Before he could pause to think, Grimsby [thankfully] spoke up, clearing his throat a little.

"Ah, yes, I'm afraid that's strictly against the rules, Ariel," he said. "Though I'm sure we're all quite looking forward to hearing you sing in two days."

"Ohh…" Ariel said, her lips curving downwards. "Okay…" In two days? Oh, she wished it was tomorrow. She didn't have much time!

"Should we all go to the library then?" Eric finally managed to say something, although it wasn't what he wanted to.

"Um, actually, I'm a little sleepy," Ariel said quickly, knowing she needed to talk to Sebastian in her room. She hurriedly got up as the crab scuttled to cling to the back of her dress and blend in with all that red hair.

Eric stood up without realizing it. "Oh! Uh…good night!" He wasn't sure why he felt disappointed. Ariel grinned. "Good night, thank you so much for dinner!" Imagine, her first human dinner! She didn't eat anything except the green leafy stuff, but it was good nonetheless.

"I'll help you get settled down, dearie," Carlotta said, offering a hand towards Ariel.

"Thank you!"

Grimsby stood up. "I suppose I should be off to bed too," he said, straightening out his collar. "Us old chaps need a lot of rest," he chuckled.

"Good night," Vanessa said. "Eric and I will stay here." Eric turned around, surprised at this, but he decided that she must have something important to say. Soon the dining hall was empty except for the two…and the dead crustacean still hidden beneath the table.

"Eric, you can't let her sing before the contest," Vanessa said, her smooth voice so persuasive as she turned towards him in her chair. "It's not fair…I'm already hurt that Grimsby is still holding the contest to begin with, but…you know I'm the one."

Eric turned to look at Vanessa. She was…beautiful. And she did have a wonderful voice, even if he hadn't heard her sing. But something deep down inside him said that something wasn't right. But…that didn't make sense, because Vanessa knew everything about the time he had been rescued, so that meant she HAD to be the one. Ariel didn't even kno—wait…

Ariel?

Why did he think of her?

There were many other girls –princesses, duchesses, daughters of nobles—that Eric knew Grimsby had been trying to set him who were pretty. But…they didn't have her personality. No one could.

Eric rubbed his face with his hands. He was so confused! What was he supposed to do when he knew one girl WAS the one, but she didn't feel like it, and the other felt like the one, but wasn't!? This sounded like a story one of the sailors would tell when he had a little bit too much celebratory rum.

"Eric?"

Eric jumped as Vanessa placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you all right?"

"Oh…uh..y-yes, thank you. I…I'm just…tired, that's all," Eric stuttered. While he felt guilty, he didn't want to tell Vanessa the truth. It would crush her…and besides, he wasn't even sure of the truth himself. Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

"Oh…okay," she said, standing up. With her back turned to Eric, the woman crossed her arms. How could this be happening?! That little redheaded...ugh! But Vanessa smoothed out her brow and turned around, smiling at Eric. "I'll just be heading off to bed, then. Good night, Eric."

"…good night."

--

Ariel was talking to Carlotta as the two ventured up the stairs. Unfortunately, the constant moving made it difficult for Sebastian to keep a good firm hold, and when Carlotta placed an aiding hand on Ariel's back [the poor dear seemed to be so wobbly on her feet!], Sebastian let go in shock! Down, down, he fell, sliding down the marble steps. Ariel was too busy answering Carlotta's kind questions about how she liked dinner and such to hear.

It was just one unfortunate incident after another for Sebastian! An ignorant servant who was mopping the bottom floor caught the crab in between mop and when she dunked it back into the pail, Sebastian found himself sloshing around in soapy water, coughing uncontrollably. And how did this lazy servant get rid of the water? She left the palace, walked down a few steps, and tossed the water and the crab out onto the sand, shutting the door hard behind her.

For a moment, poor Sebastian just lied there on the sand, afraid that he broke something. He was something of a soft shell crab after all, helping to raise dem daughter of the sea king had done it to him. "Oh, my achin' back! Dat Arielle's gonna—" Sebastian began to complain, when he heard footsteps. He rolled himself back onto his feet and peeked out from behind a rock, only to see Vanessa standing on the shore, as FLOTSAM and JETSAM appeared above the shallow waves.

"Ursula,"

"We brought you—"

"The ingredients."

Sebastian's jaw dropped. The…that….s-she! SHE WAS DE SEA WITCH! Dat human girl who had been making dem eyes at dat prince! How…well…she was a sea witch, so it was possible. Dat was how Arielle got them legs in the first place. WHY HE OUGHTA…the angered crab wanted to scuttle over there and give her something worse than a pinch!

But…for Ariel's sake, Sebastian just did his best to listen for the time being, holding his clenched claws tightly.

"Silver fish, rainbow fish, song fish, angel fish…" the sea witch was listing different types of fish. Everything Ursula mentioned was tossed on the shore and into the net by Flotsam and Jetsam. She gave a wicked smile and tightened the net when they were finished. "Good work, boys. Once I brew this together, I'll create a potion with an artificial singing voice even finer than that of our little princess." It wouldn't last for long, but one song was more than enough to prove to Eric that she was his precious little savior. HAH! Men were so easy to manipulate.

Sebastian's jaw dropped even lower. She was going to cheat in the contest! So Eric and Arielle would never have their kiss, and dat boy would marry dat…monster! He had to tell Arielle NOW! He quickly turned to silently move across the sand and back to the castle, when something heavy landed on him. Sebastian turned up slowly, only to see the foot of the sea witch pressing hard against the top of his shell with the most sinister smile in the world smirking down at him.

"Well hello there, sweet cakes," Ursula chimed. "Or should I say…crab cakes."


	9. The Contest

I could throw myself at your feet and it still wouldn't be enough. X_X I'm so sorry for the wait…I really, truly, madly, deeply am. The longer I wait, the less drive I feel to do it because I feel the pressure of making the wait worth while…but then you guys so sweetly ask me to update and I feel I must succumb O_O even if this chapter is blah. I hope it's…somewhat enjoyable. TT_TT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT THOUGH, this started as such a little fanfiction by some little girl who has nothing to do with her life but now I really find myself enjoying it. Your kindness and support means the world to me. I may say it every time, because it's true.

I apologize in advance if it appears like I'm rushing things…but this really was supposed to be a more fast-paced type of fanfiction =) despite how long it takes me to update '_' goodness.

The chapter's three times as long as the usual one though! =3

One more chapter, and then it's off to devoting everything to The Seaweed is Always Greener! =D

SPOILERS:

*curious as to why Grimsby seemed upset and Ariel and Eric were havin' a ball? Wonder what happened while Ursula was brewing the potion? PONDER NOT, my friends, because I plan to feature their side of the story in an extra chapter, after the end of this story ;D

**Ariel doesn't remember saving Eric, remember? Er go, she doesn't recall sing the Part of Your World reprise. I took this chance to introduce the DELETED lyrics to the song =) Personally the one they chose for the movie was much better but I like them anyways XD

Chapter 9: The Contest

"Try to get some shut-eye, dearie! I have a feeling that you might have a busy day tomorrow!" Carlotta told Ariel as she opened the bedroom door for the redhead. Ariel grinned. She really liked Carlotta! She was so kind and motherly...and it had been a long time since Ariel had felt that gentle feeling of being taken care of by a mother. While her older sister Attina tried to watch over everyone, she couldn't fill the fins of Queen Athena, and many times, Ariel missed her mother. So this, this feeling…made her happy.

Ariel then hugged Carlotta suddenly, the surprised woman letting out a little exclamation of shock. "Thank you so much, for everything," Ariel said, her smile softening. Carlotta returned the smile, patting the sweet child on the back. "Why, you're very welcome! You don't need to thank me for anything!" Carlotta replied, drawing back from Ariel with a little laugh.

"But I do appreciate it. Get some rest now, honey, and I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night!"

Ariel hurried into her room and shut the door behind her. Then she immediately began combing her fingers through her hair, searching for friend. "Sebastian! You can come out now!" she whispered fiercely, but there was no reply. "Sebastian?" Ariel moved over to her bed and shook her red hair out over it. Nothing. She reached behind and patted her back. Nothing. Where WAS he?

-

"URSULA! YOU WICKED WOMAN! I heard dat plan of yours and I'm gonna…I'M GONNA…!...JEEZ MAN, GET YOUR FOOT OFF OF ME!" Sebastian shouted loudly, attempting to stand up but it was no use, she was too much stronger. Ursula threw her head back and laughed, pushing him deeper into the sand. She turned back towards Flotsam and Jetsam.

"Well well well boys, it looks like crab is back on the menu,'' Ursula murmured, leaning down to pick Sebastian up. Her violet eyes had a malicious look in them as she looked him over, licking her lips. "I think you'll taste finger-licking yummy with a side of caviar, and mayb—"

Sebastian took this moment to seize that sea witch's nose with his claw and squeeze it as hard as he could.

"YEEEEOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!" she screamed in pain, immediately dropping him on the sand. Sebastian moved as fast as he could towards the castle, he had to see Arielle and tell her! "NO! Don't let him get away!" Ursula hurried after him.

Just a little further! Once Arielle found out, she could tell dat prince everything and Ursula would be kicked out of the kingdom! And then they would kiss, and she'd be human forev-suddenly, a dark shadow was cast over the crab…and everything turned black.

The next morning, everybody sat down for breakfast. Vanessa seemed to be in a particularly good mood that day, Eric noticed, which he was revealed to see since she seemed upset last night. Ariel kept on asking questions about things that he wasn't sure even existed…like "thingamabobs", which were something that humans would spin on the ground when they're bored? It sounded like those toys, those wooden tops, but then Ariel described it as twisted and metal…little did she know, they were corkscrews, and Scuttle had just got them confused with a child's plaything. But even though there were times when Eric couldn't understand her…she made him laugh.

Grimsby stood up, clearing his throat.

"You know, Eric, perhaps our young guests might enjoy seeing some of the sights of the kingdom. Something in the way of a tour?" If only he could just get that lad out of the house once in a while! He couldn't spend his entire life inside the palace.

"I'm sorry, Grim, what was that?" Eric asked, too busy chuckling to himself as Ariel attempted to explain what whozits and whatzits were.

"Spend a day out of the castle! I'm sure Vanessa and Ariel would like to see what life is like outside these polished marble walls!"

"It's not a bad idea. If they're interested….Well – what do you say? Would you like to join me on a tour of my kingdom?" Eric asked the both of them with a grin. Ariel would probably have a lot of fun…she seemed thrilled about the simplest of things here. And uh…Vanessa…would probably find something she liked too, he hoped.

"Really? Yes, I'd LOVE to! Ohhh, that sounds like FUN!" Ariel exclaimed excitedly, hardly able to contain her enthusiasm. FINALLY, she was going to be able to explore the human world! People walking on the streets and EVERYTHING!

_Ursula_, on the other hand, was troubled. She couldn't leave the castle, not when she still hadn't finished the potion. "I'm a little busy with my own affairs today…I had hoped to write a letter to home letting them know that I'm being well taken care of, and where they might find me. I'm sure they're worried, after the shipwreck happened," she explained. But could she risk those two going out ALONE together? What if they kissed? Then the potion would be useless! She couldn't lose her man so early in the game. There had to be some way…the sea witch thought fast, and then it occurred to her. "Actually…" she began, standing up and she moved over to Grimsy, and she leaned in to whisper. "…I really wanted to get Eric a gift in thanks for his hospitality. Do you think you could…go along with them, and retrieve it for me?" she asked politely_. Come on, you dried up fish._

"Oh, r-really? That's rather kind of you to be thinking of Eric! I do have a bit of things to attend to but I'm sure a short trip will be all right. What did you have in mind?"

"Oh…you know…the usual monogrammed pocket watch will do…" Something that would take a while, ensuring that Grimsby would stay with them.

"All right, Vanessa, I shall do my best."

"Thank you _so_ much."

Grimsby turned to Ariel and Eric. "Well, it appears that there WILL be a carriage ride for three. I hope you two won't mind an old bird riding with you!" he chuckled.

"Not at all, Grimsby," Eric replied, surprised at first but then he gave in.

"Sure!" Ariel exclaimed. But deep down, the two of them were feeling the sting of disappointment, even if the former's was buried a little deeper.

Ursula waved them off from the window, watching the little redheaded tramp sit next to princey-poo. It was a good thing she took things into her own tentacles, or else they would have kissed long before sunset tomorrow. Now, down to business…she knelt down next to her bed and pulled out a cage from underneath, where a very _heated_ crab was pinching the bars angrily. After Ursula had caught him in her cape, she had carried him up here. No, she wasn't going to kill him yet. She was going to wait till she won the contest and Ariel was her property, and then she was going to do something like…eat him in front of the little mermaid, for all the grief she caused her poor aunt, HA! That would teach her. Or, she could use him in the trade for the crown, along with Triton's daughter. His _precious_ royal court composer might give him the little push she needed.

Ursula dropped the cage on the vanity table. "Uh-uh-uh, calm down, a stubborn crab makes such TOUGH meat. Not that I don't mind giving my teeth a little work-out, but it would compliment the caviar so much better," Ursula smirked, wagging her finger at Sebastian.

"YOU DEMON WOMAN! MONSTER! You wait till King Triton hears about dis and you'll be in BOILED WATER, young lady!" Sebastian shouted.

Ursula laughed. "That fuddy-duddy brother of mine doesn't scare me! Soon the oceans will belong to me, you just sit tight, crabcakes."

"AND STOP CALLING ME DAT!"

Ursula ignored him and took out the ingredients for her potion, along with a pot she had stolen from the kitchen. A dash of that there, a sprinkle of this here, and it was turning out well. This was TOO easy. Sebastian watched in horror as the monster dropped in the last ingredient…to his surprise, it was a strand of red hair.

"YOU..YOU'RE USING ARIELLE'S HAIR?"

"Well she DOES have the most beautiful voice in the sea. THIS ensures that'll my voice will be far superior. And it wasn't like it was difficult to obtain, with that wild mane of hers. Unlike THIS…" Ursula took out a shell comb that had a few pieces of auburn hair in it. Sebastian squinted at it…it looked so familiar…he gasped. THAT WAS!

"QUEEN ATHE—"

"That's right, brother's dearest darlingest Queen Athena's brush. Her voice was supposed to be the most beautiful before the pirate ship nailed her and Ariel grew up," Ursula cackled, plucking a hair from the comb and dropping it into the pot. "I have to say, the palace guards weren't really a match for my boys." She smirked. "And now, the final ingredient…a polished silver shell, to ensure the sillkkkiiinessss of my voice." Ursula dropped it in, and then a sound erupted from the pot…a sound so, so beautiful, that even the infuriated Sebastian softened at the sound of it. Then he shook his head furiously, snapping out of it. "YOU—"

"WHAT? I won't win? Is that what you want to say? This isn't a fairytale, honey."

After letting the potion stew for a while, Ursula was done. She dropped the cage back on the floor and kicked it under the bed again. Sebastian's shouts were muffled underneath the cloth. Ursula hid the pot between the space of the vanity and the window, draping the long curtain over it to cover the thing, just as the sound of the wooden wheels of the carriage on the cobblestone courtyard were heard. *Ursula glanced out the window to see a crabby Grimsby, a grinning Ariel and a laughing Eric…great, just great. She rolled her eyes. Gramps hadn't done his job. But at least it didn't seem like the two kissed…and that was all that mattered. She hurried downstairs to greet them and the shameless redheaded tease away from Eric.

Meanwhile, back in Atlantica, King Triton was overcome with worry. His daughters did their best to console him, but nothing could soothe the king until his youngest was found. King Triton anxiously awaited Herald's return, and soon the seahorse popped into the throne room and moved towards the king. From the look of his face, the news wasn't good.

"Any sign of them?"

"No, Your Majesty. We've searched everywhere. We've found no trace of your daughter - or Sebastian."

"Well, keep looking. Leave no shell unturned, no coral unexplored! Let no one in this kingdom sleep until she's safe at home!"

"Yes, sire." Herald swam off immediately, and his voice could be heard across the hall. "You heard the king! Double the search party! No one rests till Princess Ariel is found!"

King Triton hung his head, burying it in his hands. "Oh, what have I done? What have I done?"

Behind a pillar, Flounder chewed his lip nervously. He felt bad for King Triton…but what could he do? He shook his head and swam away. He had to let Ariel know, though, so the blue and yellow fish hurried to Scuttle's rock. The seagull wasn't there at first, so Flounder just swam back and forth nervously until he arrived, upon which Flounder told him of the sea king's frantic search. Scuttle had heard about Ariel getting legs from him earlier, since Flounder tried to stay away from the palace in case King Triton found him and tried to question him.

"Ariel should know!" Flounder said, and Scuttle shrugged.

"Are you positooovely sure? Okay! I'll try to find her!" Scuttle replied, and he took flight, heading towards Eric's castle.

"I CAN'T JUST SIT HERE!" the crab under the bed exclaimed, meanwhile, refusing to give up. No, Arielle HAD to know! Or at the very least, he had to get rid of that potion! Sebastian rammed his shell against the wire cage walls, but it was no use…it wouldn't break. It did, however, tumble, and he had made it outside from under the bed, now on the wooden floor. Sebastian glanced towards the window, panting. What would he do now? Oh, by the powers of Poseidon, he needed—

"WHOA! SEBASTIAN? What are you doin' under there in all—"

…help. Sebastian's eyes widened to see Scuttle flapping his wings at the window. He had been searching every one to find Ariel.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME! We have to hurry and get rid of the potion! If Ursula drinks it—"

"WHOA WHOA WHOA, Ursula! What do you mea—"

Sebastian sighed. "Listen, you feather-flappin' idiot, we gotta hurry up! I'll give you dem details later! Jeez!" Scuttle would have crossed his wings, insulted, but because his favorite mermaid kid was in trouble, he knew that he had to act fast. Scuttle slipped his right wing through the space in between the windows, unlocking it, and then he flew in. "Voi-o-lah!"

"We gotta find that potio-!"

"Hey, what's the smell? Is that…fresh fish? SILVER FISH? MMmmmMMmm…" Scuttle murmured. He didn't eat friends like Flounder but hey, a seagull had to eat. He moved over to the curtain and pulled it back, revealing the pot. "Oh, whoops, never mind. You guys have a potluck party in here or somethin'? 'Cause I know just the—"

"DE POTION! Dump it out the window, quick!"

"All right, all right, yeeeesh! You gotta lay off a little."

Scuttle grabbed the handle of the pot with his feet and flapped, hard…really hard, as white feathers flew everywhere, towards the window, where he poured it all out. Sebastian let out a huge sigh of relief. Now everything would be okay.

"Okay, let me tell you what happened…"

Ursula noted how disgustingly close the two had gotten after the trip into town during dinner, however. While the squids away, the prawn will play! But she didn't care, because ALL would be settled, tomorrow, with her potion.

The next morning, there were six other princesses competing for Eric, besides Ariel and Vanessa. Ariel was nervous…but…she and Eric were meant to be together, she knew it now, and she couldn't give up so fast. She still was unaware that Ursula was Vanessa, as Scuttle hadn't been able to find her room in the dark last night to tell her. But now, the seagull was stationed outside the window. Though unable to contact Ariel, he was watching the contest, eager to see Ursula fall flat on her face.

"Welcome, dear friends, to our contest…" Grimsby began introductions, stating that today would be the day when Eric would finally choose someone to be his queen. The princesses were first, being of noble birth, and then it would be Ariel, and then Vanessa.

The first princess claimed to be rich, loud, and with perfect pitch, but Eric stated that she wasn't the one.

The second princess claimed to be clear and hit a high C, but Eric shook his head.

The third princess…kind of just screeched at him.

The fourth was "a world famous Coloratura", the fifth had a "vibrato is second to none", and the sixth was "a walking display of Gravora", but none of them were the one. And then finally, it was Ariel's turn. Eric almost felt nervous than she did…so unsure of what he wanted…and what was _right_.

Ariel stepped forward, taking a deep breath.

**"What would I give to live where you are?  
What would I pay to stay here beside you?  
What would I do to see you smiling at me?

Now there's a dream  
Now there's a goal  
Now there's a need I'll never control

I won't get free  
Till I can be part of your world."

Ariel sang even more beautifully than she had that night they met, for this, this meant everything in the world to her. The notes were clear and the melody…it had such a lilting quality that even the six princesses stopped gossiping, the jealous royals bickering about a girl who washed up on shore able to participate [much less TWO] silenced. Eric closed his eyes..her voice…it was as sweet as angels sighing…warm as summer sky. It was the sound that haunted his dreams and spun him around until it felt like he was flying.

She was the one! There was no doubt about it.

Scuttle grinned and pumped his wing in the air, ATTA GIRL! He shot a look at Vanessa, eager to see her fuming at Ariel's naturally charming voice, but her brow was a smooth as marble, a proud smile on her lips.

WELL, not for long. She'd see that she wouldn't have the potion upstairs before her turn!

After Ariel finished, the princesses begrudgingly applauded. Eric was about to rush over to Ariel, lift her up and spin her around in his arms, so happy that he had finally found her…but then Vanessa stepped forward, the sound of her heels on the marble floor clicking.

"It's my turn now."

Ohh, this was the moment Scuttle had been waiting for!

…but then…Vanessa turned around, her back facing them. She looked like she was warming up or something before hand, but in reality, she pulled out a necklace that had been tucked into her corset. Or, it wasn't so much a necklace as it was a vial…and she drank the contents.

Oh…no. She had already planned everything out! That meant that…her voice would be…

The most beautiful thing ever to be heard in the world, ever in time. It would enrapture anyone who heard it…enveloping them in the music of a goddess.  
_  
_


End file.
